Saving Time with Tool Presets

Tool presets enable you to create tool settings that you can save and use again. This feature is a real time-saver if you use specific tool settings on a frequent basis. For example, I make numerous 2-x-2-inch and 2-x-3-inch rectangular selections on images I use in a newsletter. Because I saved the settings as presets, I don’t have to redefine them each time I want to select an image for my project.

Creating custom tool presets
Here are the short and simple steps for creating your own custom tool preset:
1. Choose a tool.
Most tools are fair game. If a tool doesn’t allow for presets, such as the Measure tool for example, the Tool Preset picker button (described in Step 3) is grayed out.

2. Select the option you want for the tool in the Options bar.

3. Click the Tool Preset picker button in the Options bar.
You can also choose Window➪Tool Presets to bring up the Tool Presets palette. The Tool Presets palette offers an additional handy icon at the bottom of the palette: the trash icon. This icon lets you delete a preset quickly. Select
the preset and click the trash icon or simply drag the preset to the trash. You can’t create a new preset from the Preset Manager, which is accessible from the Tool Preset picker pop-up menu or by choosing Edit=>Preset Manager. You can only load presets, as described in Step 6.

4. Click the Create New Tool Preset picker button (the dog-eared page icon), or if you’re using the Tool Presets palette, choose New Tool Preset from the palette menu.

5. Name the preset and click OK.
Your new preset is now saved and ready for reuse.

6. To select the tool preset, you can do one of three things:
- Click the Tool Preset picker button and select a preset from the picker pop-up menu.
- Select a preset in the Tool Presets palette.
- Select a preset in the Preset Manager. Choose Tools from the pop-up menu and select your preset.